The document outlines the importance of accessibility in design and development, emphasizing that finding bugs in the design phase is significantly less costly than discovering them post-launch. It describes a workflow process that incorporates continuous communication between designers and accessibility consultants to reduce defects and improve compliance. The benefits include enhanced design knowledge for developers, fewer defects overall, and a structured approach to addressing accessibility in product development.

1. Accessibility and Design
Where Productivity and Philosophy Meet
Ryan Strunk, Lead Accessibility Consultant
Joe Lonsky, Principal Product Designer

3. Source: IBM Systems Sciences Institute - https://www.isixsigma.com/industries/software-it/defect-prevention-reducing-costs-and-enhancing-quality/
How much do bugs cost?
6.5x 15x1x
in Design
in
Development
in Testing
100
xin the Wild

4. If you find a bug while designing:
Discussion happens, maybe a meeting.
😀

5. If you find a bug in the wild:
1. Users contact support 6. Design redraws
2. Support contacts Team/PM 7. PM approves
3. PM contacts QA 8. Dev fixes
4. QA checks the bug,
confirms, writes a ticket
9. QA and design retest
5. PM prioritizes 10.Deployment
😢

6. When we joined the team here’s some of
the things we found…

8. 1. Cuts down on defects.
2. Saves time and money.
3. Has greater compliance.
4. Cuts down redesign work.
We needed a process that:

9. Our Process

10. Designer gets an assignment and starts
discovery work.

11. Designer reaches out to accessibility
consultant if (s)he has any questions.

12. • Colors
• Margins
• Formatting specs
Early designs contain layout,
but they may also contain
technical info:

13. As discovery and concepting continues,
the designer continues to reach out.

14. Before finalization, we look through the
proposed finished designs.

15. • Enter comments into Zeplin
• Add requirements into JIRA
tickets
Document

16. Let’s show you

17. First Pass
Back button should
allow perform escape
gesture
Selected tab of the
segmented control
should have
"selected, "
prepended to the
label
Filter button should be traited as a button
Swiping order should be logical
(left to right, top to bottom)
When a new section has been selected, remove
"selected, " from the old label.
Each tab of the segmented control should be
traited as a button.
Product tile should have label of: "product title,
price, rating”
Product image tiles
should have trait of
button.

18. Second Pass

19. Benefits

20. Design/UX gets first-hand knowledge of
requirements.

21. Developers get knowledge to create
processes.

22. Fewer defects.

23. 1. Unable to change shipping speed on items in cart
2. Removing Promo code from cart causes endless
speaking of “loading”
3. Cartwheel: When added and checkmark is displayed,
VO still announces as “add item”
Defects reported in October 2016:

24. Proactive consulting.

25. Process is accessible.

26. Thank You
Ryan Strunk
Lead Accessibility Consultant
@rstrunk
Joe Lonsky
Principal Product Designer
@joe_lonsky